Basket.



No. 821,010. 0 PATENTED MAY 22, 1900. H. 0. WIL00X.

BASKET..

APPLICATION FILED 0015.21. 1004.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT l PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

H. 0. WILGOX.

BASKET.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.21. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 821,010. l PATENTBD MAY 22, 1906. H. 0. WILCOX.

BASKET.v

UNITED STATES PATENT cierren.

BASKET.

Specication of Letters Patent Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed October 21,1904. Serial No. 229.391.

T0 @ZZ whom it www concern:

Be it known that I, Hn'rrrn O. WILcoX, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of" Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention contemplates an improved and highly efficient form of basket-blank which can be manufactured and shipped in a perfectly flat condition, together with an improved handle which can also be manufactured and shipped in a flat condition; and in a general way the object of my invention is the provision of an improved construction and arrangement tending to reduce the cost of manufacture of baskets of this particular character; and a special object of my invention is the provision of an improved basketblank comprising an integral sheet of material which is coeXtensive or substantially coextensive with the blank and which has its side edges provided with parallel rim-strips and its middle portions suitably reinforced and it is also an object, of course, to provide certain details and features of improvement tending to increase the general efficiency and serviceability of a basket of this particular character.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a complete basket embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inside view of the blank of which the body of the basket is made. Fig. 4 is an outside view of the blank from which the body of the basket is made. Fig. 5 is an Outside view of the blank from which the handle is made. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the blank from which the handle is made. Fig. 7 shows the inside bottom board of the basket-blank. Fig. 8 shows the integral sheet of material involved in the construction of the basket-blank. Fig. 9 shows the transverse reinforcing band which has its end portions secured to the rimstrips of the blank.

As thus illustrated, the said blank is composed of a bottom piece 1, side pieces 2 and 3, flexibly connected with an intermediate bottom piece 4, and the side pieces 5, 6, 7,

and 8, flexibly connected with the outer bottom piece 9. It will be seen that space is left between the opposing edges of the side pieces 5 and 6 and a similar space left between the opposing edges 7 and 8. It will also be seen that relativelylarge staples 10 and 11 are driven through the side pieces and adapted to span the recesses or spaces thus formed in the sides of the basket. The upper edges of the side pieces are strengthened and reinforced by means of inner and outer hoop-strips 12, while the lower edges of the basket sides are reinforced by outer hoopstrips 13. The three layers of which the bottom is composed are secured together and reinforced by a lengthwise strip 14, the same being composed of an intermediate and two end sections flexibly connected by means of relatively large staples 15. The handle of the basket is also made in a flat or blank form and is composed of middle and end sections 16 and 17, the same being flexibly connected by staples 18, and the end sections are, it will be observed, provided, preferably, with beveled ends and transverse notches or grooves 19.

The blank thus sh own in Figs. 3 and 4 and reinforced in different directions across the grain of the veneer can be manufactured and shipped to the user in a'perfectly flat condition. In order to make the basket, the portions 5 and 7 are brought together at one end of the basket, while the portions 6 and 8 are brought together at the other end of the basket, and the end portions of the hoopstrips 12 are then lapped and the upper ends of the strip 14 then inserted between said lapped portions. Staples or other devices can then be inserted through the lapping end portions of the hoops and the strips 14 and the blank thus retained in its folded condition. The handle-strip can then be folded into the shape shown in Fig. l and the end portions inserted downwardly between the inner and outer hoops of the basket. After this the handle can then be pushed downwardly into the spaces provided between the edges of the said portions of the basket, and then the notches or grooves 19 engage the staples 11. In this way the completed basket is composed of a bottom A, side walls B, and end walls C, and the handle D eX- tends downwardly at each side of the basket and across the top thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be seen, therefore, that my improved ICO IIO

' of the said rim-strips.

saine outline as the completed basket-blank and serves as a sort of base or ground upon which to work and to which to apply the va rious reinforcing-strips, dac. The rim-strips 12 are secured to the side edges of the said integral sheet of material and are provided lwith projecting end portions, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will also be seen that the transverse reinforcing-band composed of the flexibly connected sections 2 3 4 has its end portions secured to the middle portions The thickened bottom board 1 is secured to the center of the blank and upon the inner surface thereof and is preferably of the same outline `as the bottom section 4. These two layers together determine the outline of the basket. When the blank is folded, it will be seen that the projecting end portions c of the rim-strips are adapted to lap together at the ends of the basket. 4 In this way the structure shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is essentially a blank in character and is so complete' that when folded it provides a complete basket-body, leaving nothing to be applied thereto but the handle. (Shown in Fig. 5. Both the basket-blank and the handle (shown in Fig. 5) are adapted to be manufactured and shipped in a perfectly flat condition. In this way it is only necessary forthe user to fold the basket-blank into the proper shape and secure its end portions together and to then apply the handle. The handle is applied, it will be seen, without manipulating or inserting any fastening devices whatever. The outside grooves 19 on the handle are adapted to engage the staples or strips of metal 10 and 11 and the notches formed by slightly separating the portions 5 and 6 from each other and by separating the portions 7 and 8 from each other in the same manner. The sections or portions 2 and 3 cover these spaces or notches or recesses spanned by the strips of metal 10 and 11, so that the handle is not exposed to contact with the contents of the basket.

What I claim as my invention is- 1, A basket-blank comprising an integral sheet of material, said sheet being substantially coextensive with the blank, rim-strips secured to the side edges of said sheet and provided with projecting end portions, and

transverse reinforcing means connecting the rim-strips, the said blank being provided on l its outer surface with a pair of recesses extending toward each other from between the rim-strips, metal strips spanning said recesses, and a handle adapted to be inserted between the rim-strips and provided with outer transverse grooves adapted to engage said metal strips, substantially as described.

2. A basket-blank comprising an integral sheet of material, said sheet being substantially coextensive with the blank, rim-strips 12 secured to the side edges of said sheet and provided with projecting end portions, strips 13 secured to the sheet at points between and A parallel with the strips 12, a transverse band secured at its ends to said rim-strips, a bottom board 1 secured to the inside of the blank, and a longitudinal strip secured to the outside of the blank and at the center thereof,

substantially as set forth,

3. A basket-blank comprising an integral sheet of material having its sides provided with notches, said sheet being substantially coextensive with the blank, rim-strips secured to the sideedges of the said sheet, outside strips of metal spanning the said notches, and a handle having end portions adapted to be inserted between the rim-strips, when the blank is folded, and provided with transverse outside grooves adapted to engage said strips of metal, substantially as set forth.

4. A basket blank comprising a reinforced integral sheet of material which is coextensive or substantially coextensive with the blank, and provided with parallel inner and outer rim-strips secured to its side ed `es and projecting at the ends of the blank, t e said blank being provided on its outer surface with a pair of recesses extending toward each other from between the rim-strips, metal strips spanning said recesses, and a handle adapted to be inserted between the rim-strips and provided with outer transverse grooves adapted to engage said metal strips.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 8th day of October, 1904.

HETTIE O. WILCOX Witnesses:

CLARENCE M. THORNE, LUCY W, WRIGHT. 

